My hope is in Jesus. This was made fully known after meeting Joann and seeing her hope isn’t in the material possessions of this world. That was what my hope was in. As an American, we put our hope in “stuff”. Our retirement plans, health insurance, homes and cars. I didn’t fully see that until I met Joann. She has enough because Jesus is enough.

Hope lives in my life because: Sometimes I get down because things aren’t going my way and I’m getting frustrated. And it seems like God is just toying around with me and everything I do is a struggle I can never quite lift my head out of. Then I sit down or a moment and look at someone else’s life through Compassion, the life of someone else living far away and in very different circumstances from mine, much harder circumstances. And then I see what God is doing with these people. Changing lives, giving meaning to them, using them to change others, making a difference in the future of their families, neighbors, and ultimately country. And these are people with real problems, people who are just people like me, but with much more crushing difficulties to overcome, so many fewer comforts. Some of them are in holes they dug themselves, so deep you would think they could never get out. But hope is terribly, fearfully alive in these places, so much so that it’s almost blinding at times when you confront it face to face. And that when I come back to myself. Hope is alive for them, and hope is alive for me. I’m not a special case, even though everyone is special to God; we all have problems and we are all objects of a special hope that He has for us. No one gets left behind from His good, in the end; no one will escape trouble, in the end. And I’m comforted that the God of hope that is transforming lives in the darkest of places is the God who sees me as just the same as them.

Hope lives in my life by the way of God’s continual goodness and love. My mom continues to say, “God is good, all of the time.” Recently my parents had a house fire, to which the main floor of their home is now gutted down to the bones, and still she says “God is good, all of the time.” She sees the love of God in the many volunteers, and the hope found in God’s promises. The hope living in me has come from God’s goodness and love throughout my life experiences – good and bad. Eight years ago, almost to the day, I was involved in a serious car accident where I lost my two best friends. There was hope, even in the dark times, because my friends had Jesus in their hearts. There was hope – even though it was hard to understand – that God had a plan for my life to continue, even though my friends’ journey in this place was over. God’s love is so great that it will overcome anything. Last month I was able to sponsor my first child. When looking through the children’s information, I came upon one named Angela – the same name as my friend who had died. Even though my friend Angela is longer here, her Christian witness in life and death has helped me grow and given me hope of the continual goodness and love of God. This is the kind of hope that I will share with my sponsored child – hope that only stems from God’s love and goodness. My sponsored child, Angela, will benefit from my friend’s life. This living hope is truly something that goes beyond all borders and all time because God’s love is everlasting.

Hope lives in my life … actually Hope lives in my home. My son Christian reminds me every day of Hope. His caring heart, his loving spirit. My creator gave this gift to me and when I see his face, I see Hope, I feel Hope, I know Hope. Life comes at us all 100 mph, but the warmth that his heart exudes is peaceful. It reminds me that in this day we need to rely on the One. No, my son is not perfect, none of us are, we’re merely human, but we’re forgiven. Our Father has blessed my son with a compassionate heart and I am eternally grateful. I want to be the same Hope to my son that he has been to me. We need to seek Him, renew our spirits in Him and strive to be who it is that God has chosen us to be. I’m a daughter of a King, a Woman of God. Hope has transformed my life.

Hope lives in my life because my life has been wrought with alot of internal and external strife. Still, I survive and Hope Lives because I refuse to allow it to be taken away. God has given me a lot and I will do everything I can to use what has been given to me and not let it go to waste. I sponsor 2 children, 1 in Peru and 1 in India because I have more than what they do and to provide hope in their lives.

Last year I revisited my daughter’s sponsor child, Jeba, in Chennai India. We had met before in 2006 and at that time Jeba was very shy. This time Jeba had instant recognition in her eyes and as I held out my hand to her, she reached out and took it, and held it all day!!
Jeba lives in a tiny home,well room really, where 6 people and a dog live. They have one bed base and no mattress. Materially the family have next to nothing. Spiritually however, they are rich – they know Jesus.
Through Compassion Jeba also gets help with her studies. When asked what she wants to be when she is older, Jeba answers confidently – she wants to be a doctor. I looked to her project worker and asked “Is this possible?” He has no doubts that academically Jeba could pursue such a dream. She is very bright. It looks like we shall need to start fund-raising to support her through LDP!! It is amazing to think that this wonderful child with such talent would never be able to consider fulfilling this dream without Compassion, due to living in extreme poverty. Yet, out of the slums in India is tomorrow’s doctor, thanks to the Ministry of Compassion. Hope lives and is alive in India. Praise the Lord!!

Hope is in my life because God is in control of all things, from the outcome of the Presidential election to the Global Food Crisis. God works all things for good to those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.

Hope lives right upstairs from me. She’s eight years old, with auburn-red hair, hazel eyes, the cutest freckles, and autism-spectrum disorder. My baby sister has taught me a lot about life, people, and God, and she has helped me remain a hopeful idealist despite disappointments in my life. When she came to live with us nearly eight years ago I could not have imagined everything she would bring into my life — and I probably wouldn’t have wanted it then — but now I wouldn’t trade it all for anything. She reminds me that we are all broken, but we are all still irresistible and adorable children of God, children that He delights in like I delight in her. That is the hope — and the Hope — that I know.

That the mother was content with her situation–saying it’s okay they couldn’t move to a better place because what they had was ENOUGH–is a foreign concept to most of us in America. We’re always out looking for a nicer house or car, or the latest gadget. Thank you for the reminder that we should be content with what God has given us, but also for sharing the story of one who has far less, and is already content.

I work for an organization that gives families of critically ill or traumatically injured children a home away from home so that they may stay close to their hospitalized child. Every day, I have the opportunity to spend time with parents who are hanging on to hope with every fiber of their being. I’ve called our place a “house of hope” because it is a place of refuge, peace and yes, hope for these families. I am so privileged to be able to minister hope to others, both at my job, and through being a sponsor of two amazing and gorgeous children and being an advocate with Compassion International. Because of these two aspects of my life, hope lives in me, not only for others, but for myself…for I know that when I am in need, it will come full circle.

[…] hope has always fascinated me. It is why I smile at strangers, it is why I sponsor a child through Compassion International and it is why I […]

Amanda St. Dennis

Nov 4, 2008

at 5:32 pm

Hope lives in my life through my volunteer work. I work with children and teens with multiple/severe physical disabilites. These individuals have huge challenges that they face every single day some that many of us could never imagine living with but they do. They have taught me so much about life. How to enjoy the small things, to not let me get down, to keep going even when times are rough. They opened up a window in my life that helped me to realize that God is calling me to work with people like them on a daily basis, So I am now almost finished my first semester of college to become a Developmental Service Worker.differnceI should add I am only 18 years old but I have also lived with minor disabilites and seeing them conqur and live each day to fullest has given me hope to keep going especially in the when I wanted to give up
for me this is hope, hope that I have made a difference and that I will continue to make a differnce in people’s lives becaus I know they have made a difference in mine.

I am not writing this to winbecause for me I have already won in the way that I am still alive and living but instead I wanted to share part of my journey and part of my life (though if I am even considered I would be humbled)

Hope lives because Compassion is committed to integrity and as such when I a child gets sponsored, I know that the money is going to make a huge difference.

Hope lives because 154,000 children trusted Christ as Saviour last year and the Holy Spirit lives in them and who knows how many people those children will see reached with the Gospel.

Hope lives when a child, who was discouraged gets a letter from a sponsor and their whole life changes, because they realize they have value.

Hope lives when a man from Bangladesh, who is in serious trouble gets written about on a blog and sponsors collect money for him to be able to get a way to be taken out of poverty, while he himself might not even know what a blog is on the Internet.

Hope lives when a young pregnant mothey doesn’t know what to do and someone in the Child Survival Program helps her to be able to bring up a healthy baby.

Hope lives when in the midst of a crisis like there was in Haiti, the Complimentary Interventions help children, who have lost their home to get a home and food back.

Hope lives when an LDP student graduates and returns back to where he came from to make a huge difference in his surroundings.

Hope lives when a person picks up a child sponsorship package and they find that their entire life gets changed, by the little child that they sponsored.

Hope lives in my life because I saw God bring my husband home safely from his 2nd deployment to Iraq. We were married for a month when he left and I was scared of what could happen to him. But God was good. The day before we got the news, God pointed out a verse to me saying He would give me strength if my soon-to-be-husband was deployed (we had an idea he would). Through the deployment, God was always there, He gave me peace when I needed it and reminded me that He was in charge. He took care of him the first time, he would do it a second. I’m grateful to God that He brough my husband home without a scratch (the day before our 1 year anniversary) and our marriage is stronger because of it.

It truly is more blessed to give that receive. Every time a letter arrives from my Compassion child, Pooja, my heart is filled with hope as I read her response to mine.

Each one of us, through the power of God’s love are able to be hands and hearts to reach across the miles and around the world. Hope flows every direction as we inspire one another, whether young or old, rich or poor to hope, to trust, and have faith in Him from whom all blessings flow!

Pooja recently wrote: “Your letters are encouraging and lively… I am never going to forget you in my life. You will always be in my heart and prayers”. Her words are words of hope.

I loved reading about this, and wrote a post on how I am most recently affected by it.
What I notice most in reflecting on life is the process of it. When “hope lives”, there is growth, and change, and maturing, and increase. It is a beautiful truth to meditate on in thinking about sharing hope with others, and the exponential element in God’s economy (where there is no recession)!

When we were children of a single mom on welfare, we loved the cheese the State provided us. My mom was a great mom. She worked hard to develop her career and provide for us. But, in the meantime, there were so many times when neighbors, friends, and strangers helped us. It was the big things and the small things that made a difference. When we were four, our neighbors gave us pots, pans, and utensils. When we were six another neighbor would check on us (and feed us a great steak) when our mom worked late. One night while waiting for our mom to finish working at a restaurant, an older couple, who had spent their lives traveling and never had kids, gave us quarters all evening so we could play while we waited. Then there was the Greyhound bus driver, who watched over us every summer he took us to Gram’s house. One summer he even bought us lunch. (I was able to return the favor, the year he retired.)
So many people helped us in our time of need as a children. And, now, hope lives in my life, because of those people and the gifts they gave, I live to do the same. I have found ways to bless children through the years. When I didn’t have money to give, I offered free tutoring for at-risk kids. When I had a chance to provide Christmas meal and presents to an impoverish family, I jumped. And, now, my husband and I have two kids overseas that we are able to sponsor.
Hope lives in our life and in the lives we touch by feeding people physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Now, we have those opportunities more and more. Hope lives in my life through feeding others, helping others, praying for others, and giving and writing to our kids overseas. And, I pray that the kids we touch locally as well as our sponsored kids see that hope lives in them, just as I found hope lives in me.

Our boy Estarlin is fairly shy and I usually have to work at opening him up. At the child visitation day, I was assigned a young and very pretty translator who was the best translator I have ever worked with on my trips to the DR. During the day, she managed to get Estarlin to really open up and talk to her. After they left, we talked and she expressed a concern for our child and his family. From his comments she believed that they were not going to church much and was concerned about him spiritually. So I thanked her for letting me know this, and when I got home, I emailed Victor (his project director) and explained it to him.

Victor told me that he would check to see if they were in church that Sunday, and if not, he and his wife were on visitation team at the church so they would personally go to visit them. They did end up going with another woman, and as a result the three of them our boy’s mother to Christ. The other woman is now disciplining her.

Also, Estarlin has been interested in learning computer skills. From talking to Victor, he arranged for him to go to a computer class every Saturday at 3pm, and I’ve been told that he has attended every week.

I can’t wait to go back in January and I hope to see Nelly (his mom) and the new baby (besides our boy)! I know why I was at the conference!

HOPE !!!!
Jesus died on the cross for my sins and He gave me HOPE, which i see daily in my life. one of the best, is just being able to live for His glory and to see the wonders He has done in my life. He sent me to this world for a purpose and He hopes i will fullfill it.
I have HOPE and that is why i live.

Hope Lives in my life by God giving me goals and dreams and then giving me the courage, boldness, and effort to reach them!!! Two simple ones are visiting Nicaragua and upcoming the Philippines with Compassion!!! Many others are in the process!!! I have to admit hope would still leave even if I didn’t reach going to Nicaragua or the Philippines, but I probably would not be typing on this blog if I did not reach those goals!!! B/c I would probably be scrambling around looking for various odd jobs to try and pay for them, but PRAISE THE LORD I drove that Taxi into the ground and now the Philippines Sponsor Tour is paid for and I am no longer a Taxi driver Maybe next time I should treat the Taxi with a little more care

Hope i something I want to achieve. I find hope in situations that are sometimes impossible, so that I can look to God for an answered prayer. For instance, whenever I encountered any situation, like a friend relationship problem, I start to look to God for strength, believing that it is through Him that everything is possible, for He is a God of impossibilities…

read my post through my website… there are some other posts which can strengthen our spirit…